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On a recent birthday, Shawn Shaw reflected on her life. There had been lessons learned about love, happiness, and the inherent beauty of life that is present even amid disappointment. For Shawn, a dedicated practice of yoga and meditation was the wellspring for many of the lessons learned. The teenage Shawn kept fit as a distance runner, first picking up yoga as a supplementary form of exercise and stretching. It wasn't until a few years later, amid a storm of personal struggles and a battle with cancer, that she discovered the healing properties of daily practice. Today she credits yoga with transforming her physical and emotional health and cultivating a peaceful attitude. Moreover, her newfound clarity and mental presence become something Shawn had to share. She opened her own studio, Metrowest Yoga, in 2005. Now with two locations in Westborough and Worcester, the curriculum includes Shawn's own invention, Myoga Hot Hatha, which is grounded in stillness and allows students to hold poses longer than usual as they make peace between breath and body.
Metrowest Yoga's studio focuses on building a strong healthy body and cultivating a calm, peaceful mind. The styles offered are mostly vigorous in a heated room but some gentle restorative classes are offered too. Regularly scheduled classes include Vinyasa or Flow, Hatha and Ashtanga styles. Beginner’s classes or a 6 week Brand New Beginner’s course are also offered.

As a kid, Wayne Haddad would clean any vehicle he could get his hands on, whether it was his mother’s car, the neighborhood kids’ go-karts and mini bikes, or the Corvettes his older brother loved to work on. It's hardly surprising, then, that he opened Haddad Auto Detail, a company he’s helmed for more than 35 years. Over the years, Wayne has maintained a loyal clientele with his thoughtful car care advice.
Haddad Auto Detail's technicians recommend quarterly visits as a way to maintain a vehicle’s longevity by clearing away the acidic bugs that cling to bumpers in summer and the road salt that eats away at paint in winter. To complement these regular visits, Wayne’s team performs an extensive array of services, specializing in hand waxing and machine buffing to remove scratches. They also administer interior shampooing, particularly accident clean-up services that target stubborn stains on cloth seats from spilled food, carsickness, and pets. Mobile services provide on-location work, freeing drivers to stay at home, at the office, or inside the trunk while having their vehicles cleaned.

Give your home interior a facelift with some new and modern furnishings from Mill Stores in Westborough.
Give some life to your living room with some brand new furniture from here, such as loveseats and living room furniture.
This store has the best deals in steals on office furniture so head on over today and pick out some new digs for your office.
When you need to decorate a few bedrooms, you can find everything you need here, such as beds and bedroom furniture.
Modernize your bathroom decor with brand new furniture, you're sure to find something that suits your taste here.
A rocking bench? A table for six? Whatever outdoor and patio furniture you're looking for, this store has just what you're looking for.
Brighten up your walls with the great pieces here including curtains and mirrors.
Items like rugs, throw pillows, and vases will provide your home with that much-needed flair, so get to decorating.
Satisfy your creative vision with a stunning sculpture.
At Mill Stores, you'll find only the best outdoor gear and equipment.
Mill Stores is located near a variety of parking options, making your selection a quick and easy one.
When you're ready to part with your old furniture set, a trendy new set is waiting for you at Mill Stores in Westborough.

For the best bulgogi, head to Sapporo Restaurant.
Healthy food is in, as it should be, come here for a tasty, low-fat and gluten-free bite.
Unwind with a glass of wine or cocktail with your meal — Sapporo Restaurant has a wonderful selection of drinks to accompany your dinner.
Tots are more than welcome to dine with their parents at Sapporo Restaurant.
Book a room at Sapporo Restaurant so the only you have to worry about is what great dish you're going to order.
Whether it's just you and a date or you're bringing the whole gang, it's best to call ahead and make a reservation.
Great place to bring the whole family with great food and a business casual dress code.
If you're in a hurry, place an order for pickup instead.
Can't get enough of Sapporo Restaurant's tasty dishes? They also offer a catering service for parties and events.
Patrons have access to free parking in the neighboring lot.
Most items on the menu are reasonably priced, so expect to spend around $30 per person at Sapporo Restaurant.
Sapporo Restaurant accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and all major credit cards.
Sapporo Restaurant has menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner — just pick your favorite meal and head over.

There's no fire beneath the bright white mantelpiece at Substance Salon—its ornate carvings and noble busts simply cement a chic ambiance. However, clients can still warm up with sips of gourmet coffee as they wait for their appointed stylists. The salon staff carries the sophistications of the reception area to each of their stations, where they handcraft 'dos based on the tastes of clients. Pureology products help them wash and blow-dry strands into eye-catching arrays, such as the voluminous Bombshell or the Bohemian—breezy waves that wrap around a full-size acoustic guitar.
Master barber Manny oversees the hot-towel shaves and soothing scalp massages on the gentlemen's menu. The salon also has an entire department devoted to brides-to-be—Styling the Bride—whose members travel to clients throughout New York and New Jersey. Their hair and cosmetic expertise, which results in dazzling updos and radiant makeovers, has been featured on The Knot.

At more than a dozen locations throughout the northeast, ScrubaDub Auto Wash Centers' computerized wash tunnels and detailing pros spiff up cars with advanced technology and minimal environmental impact. The robotic wash systems and photoelectric sensors not only clean finishes with a gentle, soft-cloth technique, but they can target white walls, wheels, and chrome with site-specific formulas. The eco-savvy automated systems also consume less water than home washing and recycle the water used to clean the wheels and undercarriage. Biodegradable SuperGlo soap keeps the run-off free of harmful compounds before it is funneled down the proper treatment channels, where it can't pollute neighborhood storm drains or be used to test the resiliency of carnival goldfish.
The centers' innovative equipment and Earth-friendly practices have earned them the title of Best Car Wash from CityVoter for three years running. Some locations also boast separate interior cleaning bays to address filthy dashboards and seats.

Groupon Guide

This article is part of Amanda Maguire’s Vegan Guide to Boston, which profiles Boston’s best vegan products and businesses.
One of the biggest concerns in going vegan is the prospect of having to give up your favorite comfort foods: the baked macaroni and cheese, the burgers with all the toppings, the old-fashioned milk shakes too thick to drink with a straw.
Fear not, because Veggie Galaxy Diner & Vegan Bakery (450 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge) has you covered. Owned by Adam Penn, Veggie Galaxy serves up plant-based meals that will take you right back to your childhood. Well, assuming your childhood included delicious meals made from scratch, right down to the burger buns and ketchup. I paid a visit to Veggie Galaxy to chat with Penn about his epic diner food and what makes it so noteworthy.
GROUPON: What is Veggie Galaxy's best-selling menu item?
ADAM PENN: Our best-selling item since the beginning has been the Kendall Square Burger.
[Editor’s note: It’s a black-bean or mushroom-chickpea burger topped with beer-battered onion rings, roasted red pepper purée, roasted garlic mayo, and baby arugula.]
G: Could you tell us a little about the inspiration behind this dish and whether you initially expected it to be so popular?
AP: As a vegetarian/vegan diner, we knew from the beginning that there would always be some tension regarding … healthy food versus traditional comfort food. The Kendall Burger, topped with giant deep-fried onion rings, was our nod to the comfort food side of things, and it quickly became clear that that's what most of our customers are looking for. We still try to provide some healthy options as well, but most of our customers come to us because we're first and foremost a diner.
G: Are there any new menu additions you're particularly excited about? I noticed you offer Blue Plate Specials each week.
AP: Our most recent weekly Blue Plate Special is vegan chicken and waffles. It [was] a customer request a while back, and we finally got around to doing it. It's been more popular than we even imagined, so we extended it to a second week and are now planning to put it on our late-night menu. … We also recently added a Meatless Monday meatball sub, which is one of my personal favorites.
G: What makes Veggie Galaxy's food taste like home?
AP: Pretty much everything is prepared from scratch, including items that people at home would normally just buy from the grocery store, like our condiments, our seitan, and our burger buns. So, in our opinion, it's better than home.
G: Why did you opt to go plant-based with your menu and strictly vegan with your baked goods?
AP: The reasons for going vegetarian and vegan are pretty well known at this point, and it's not something we like to preach about. We're providing vegetarians and vegans the opportunity to enjoy classic diner foods without the meat. While we do have dairy and eggs on the menu, pretty much anything can be made vegan. We wanted to make sure vegans could enjoy our desserts, too, so we left the eggs and dairy out of those altogether.
G: What has been your best moment as a business owner at Veggie Galaxy?
AP: I don't know if I can point to one best moment. When we have a full dining room of happy customers, I can look back on all the effort that has been put in to get to this point and feel content in knowing that we're doing exactly what we set out to do.
G: When you're not making french toast stuffed with vanilla-nut vegan cream cheese, grilled corned-beef seitan reubens, and lemon meringue pie (my personal favorite), what are you cooking at home?
AP: Neither my wife nor I are really cooks. When we do cook, we keep it simple—herbed roasted vegetables over couscous is a favorite. I'm personally a big fan of pasta, so pasta and veggie meatballs are a favorite of mine. Though I have to admit that at home, as opposed to at the restaurant, we just buy the meatballs from the store.
Still hungry? Check out Groupon’s latest deals on vegetarian restaurants in Boston.
Photos: Aaron Scott

Whether you’re building strength during a workout at Harvard Stadium or gawking at preserved muscles at the Body Worlds exhibit, it’s a big week for the human physique. This week also brings Boston’s biggest music fest and a major cultural festival in Cambridge, plus a comic hypnotist whose show is currently featured in a Groupon deal. As always, you can check Groupon for more ideas for things to do in Boston.
Boston Calling
Downtown | September 5–7
The city’s highest profile music festival returns less than four months after its last installment, this time with an even bigger lineup: The National, Lorde, and Nas x The Roots headline each respective night, with Spoon, The Hold Steady, Neutral Milk Hotel, and a dozen others also performing. (City Hall Plaza; $75–$175; buy tickets here)
Cambridge Carnival International
Cambridge | Sunday, September 7
Billed as the largest festival in Cambridge, this celebration of Afro-Caribbean cultures includes everything from creole cuisine to calypso and salsa concerts. But the highlight is the grand costume parade, in which colorful masqueraders and musicians stroll past Central Square. (Kendall Square; free)
The November Project's Stadium Workout
Allston | Every Wednesday
Find it easier to stay motivated when you work out with other people? Then why not surround yourself with a stadium full of them? Of course, the stadium isn’t exactly “full”—you should have plenty of room to climb the concrete-block seats during one of four pre-designed workouts. (65 N. Harvard St.; free)
Comic Hypnotist Frank Santos, Jr.
Theater District | Friday, September 12
We’d tell you to be careful what you say around Frank Santos, Jr., but it wouldn’t help. His entire act consists of hypnotizing audiences into doing and saying things they normally wouldn’t, mostly of the R-rated variety. (Wilbur Theatre, 246 Tremont St.; $15.50 on GrouponLive; buy tickets here)
Body Worlds
Downtown | Through September 14
Time’s running out to catch the Faneuil Hall Marketplace hit, which displays authentic human bodies that have been preserved through a process called plastination. The bodies offer rare insight into the complexities of human anatomy, especially since they’re arranged in poses that show off different organs and muscle groups. (Quincy Market, 4 S. Market St.; $15.50–$22.50; buy tickets here)

This week’s lineup of activities will help you embrace your inner child. Play games in the park, build intricate Lego creations, and see a Shel Silverstein play. A donut party and dog-friendly city tour help round out the week. As always, check Groupon first for more things to do in Boston.
The Lawn on D Grand Opening
Fort Point | Saturday, August 16, noon to 11 p.m.
After four months of speedy construction, the “experimental” park next to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center will make its debut with a full day of live music and games. A few highlights: a bocce ball court, an outdoor bar, and food trucks galore. (420 D St.; free)
Dog-Friendly Walking Tour of Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill | Saturday, August 16, 10 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Luxury pet hotel The Urban Hound joins forces with Boston by Foot for a walking tour designed for canines and their caretakers. As pups sniff out the oldest fire hydrants in Louisburg Square, owners check out the elegant, historic homes. The tour ends at a dog park where pup-friendly frozen yogurt awaits. (State House, 24 Beacon St.; $8–$12; buy tickets here)
Janky Donuts Pop-Up at Tavern Road
Waterfront | Tuesday, August 19, 6 p.m.– 10 p.m.
If you’re still miffed that this summer’s grand opening of Janky Donuts revealed that the shop is actually an art gallery, not a gourmet bakery, then you’re in luck. Tavern Road is teaming up with the !nd!v!duals art collective to make good on its promise of delicious donuts—with some beer and wine thrown in for good measure. ( 343 Congress St.; free with RSVP)
Adult Night at Legoland Discovery Center
Somerville | Wednesday, August 20, 7 p.m.– 9 p.m.
Mingle with fellow block builders during this 18-and-older event at the new Legoland Discovery Center in Assembly Row. The adventure-themed evening will center on Lego collections such as Indiana Jones, featuring contents, games, and prizes. (598 Assembly Row, Somerville; $22.50; buy tickets here)
SilverSpoons: An Evening of Shel Silverstein
Dedham | Wednesday, August 20– Saturday, August 23, 8:30 p.m.–10 p.m.
CoffeeSpoons Theatre, a small collective focused on staging plays in more casual settings, will be bringing long-overlooked works of Shel Silverstein to life at Paradise Cafe. Savor fresh sandwiches, pastries, wine, and beer as you take in three one-act comedies that show another side of everyone’s favorite children’s poet. ( 565 High St., Dedham; free)
Lawn on D photo via Sasaki Associates; Janky Donuts photo from Facebook; Legoland picture by Sarah McManus